Department for Transport

Cross Country Rail Franchise

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Sugg on 20 November (HL11313), whether any steps are available to them quickly to alleviate overcrowding on the Cross Country Trains network.

baroness sugg: Currently, there is no suitable rolling stock available that could be used on this franchise in the short term to alleviate the services which suffer overcrowding. We are, however, working with Cross Country on a potential Direct Award to see what rolling stock and/or trains service changes might be possible to tackle this issue.

Gatwick Airport Station

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Sugg on 20 November (HL11312), what proportion of the passengers using Gatwick Airport railway station are travelling to and from the airport.

baroness sugg: According to Network Rail’s latest data, approximately 90% of passengers using Gatwick Airport railway station across an entire week are travelling to and from the airport. The remaining 10% of passengers are largely rail commuters. During the Monday to Friday peak periods, approximately 80% of passengers are travelling to and from the airport, with the remaining 20% being commuters who are not travelling via the airport.

Aviation: USA

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government when any planned post-Brexit aviation arrangements agreed between the UK and the United States will be implemented; and whether they anticipate that date will be (1) at the March 2019 deadline for EU withdrawal, or (2) at the end of the transition period.

baroness sugg: New, bilateral, air services arrangements between the UK and US will come into effect once the EU-US Air Transport Agreement ceases to apply to the UK.

Road Works

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the requirements local councils must adhere to in relation to the notification and coordination of street works.

baroness sugg: Section 59 of the New Roads and Street Works Act imposes a duty on local councils as street authorities to “use their best endeavours to co-ordinate the execution of works of all kinds”. Similarly, section 60 imposes a duty on utility companies to use their “best endeavours to co-operate with the street authority and with other undertakers”. Utilities have either to give notice to street authorities of their intention to carry out works or obtain a permit to do so, depending on whether the street authority in question operates a notice scheme or a permit (and in some cases, a lane rental) scheme.In addition, there is a statutory code of practice, Code of Practice for the Co-ordination of Street Works and Works for Road Purposes and Related Matters, which can be viewed athttps://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/43578/street-works-code-of-practice.pdf

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Climate Change Convention

lord barker of battle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to hosting the 24th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in London.

lord henley: The next potential opportunity for the UK to host COP is the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) in 2020. The UK is engaging with others to determine who is best placed to preside over COP26. Whoever takes on the COP26 Presidency in 2020 we will need to work with a wide range of partners to ensure it is a success and brings us closer to the long term goals of the Paris Agreement.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Bangladesh: Elections

lord ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the forthcoming general election in Bangladesh will be free and fair.

lord ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the British High Commission in Bangladesh will call for greater democracy in that country as the general election there approaches.

lord ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the re-categorisation of Bangladesh by the Bertelsmann Stiftung Transformation Index as an autocracy rather than a democracy, what steps they will take to encourage neutral observers for the forthcoming general election in that country.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The British Government has been consistently clear that we wish to see a free, fair and pluralistic election in Bangladesh. The Minister for Asia and the Pacific, Mark Field, has repeatedly encouraged the Government of Bangladesh and opposition parties to engage in an effective dialogue to this end, and the power to deliver it lies with them. Through our High Commission in Dhaka we have been clear that the Election Commission should be allowed to continue its important work without interference. We have consistently made the case for international oversight of the election and the EU has agreed to send an Election Expert Mission. Through the Department for International Development funding, the UK will also support local observation of the general election. The Foreign Secretary raised his concerns regarding the next election in Bangladesh with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina when they met at the UN General Assembly in New York on 24 September. In a call on 1 November with State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shahriar Alam, the Minister for Asia and the Pacific again made the case for a free, fair and participatory election. As did I when I spoke to him on 23 November.

Burma: Human Rights

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the human rights situation in Kachin and Shan states of Burma.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The human rights situation in Shan and Kachin continues to be of concern to the UK. The Minister for Asia and the Pacific, Mark Field, made representations to the Burmese Ambassador on 11 July regarding the Burmese military's conduct in Kachin and Shan. The UK co-sponsored the UN Human Rights Council Resolution passed on 27 September which called for the immediate cessation of fighting and hostilities, of targeting civilians and of all violations and abuses of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, and of the harassment, intimidation, arrest, detention and prosecution of human rights defenders and activists in northern Burma, in particular in Kachin and Shan States. On 14 November the Minister for Asia and the Pacific reiterated that human rights for all of Burma remain a UK priority.

Burma: Sanctions

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to implement targeted sanctions against the military in Burma.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK was instrumental in delivering the EU's targeted sanctions on seven individuals responsible for human rights violations in Rakhine, adopted at the Foreign Affairs Council on 25 June. We have focused on those who were directly responsible for the units that have been identified by multiple reports from credible international organisations as committing human rights violations in Rakhine. We are currently in discussion with EU partners on adding other individuals to this sanctions listing.

Victor Mallet

lord goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have received an explanation from the government of Hong Kong for the rejection of a visa for the British journalist Victor Mallett; and if so, what it was.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We remain concerned by the Hong Kong authorities’ unprecedented rejection of a visa for senior British journalist Victor Mallet. The Minister for Asia and the Pacific raised this issue with Hong Kong Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung during his visit to Hong Kong on 11 November. He sought an explanation for the visa refusal, but did not receive one. In the absence of an explanation from the authorities we can only conclude that this move is politically motivated. This undermines Hong Kong’s freedom of speech and freedom of the press, both guaranteed by the Joint Declaration, and the Basic Law, and increases the pressure on the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ framework. Confidence in Hong Kong’s rights and freedoms is an essential component of its future success.

Department for International Development

Palestinians: Overseas Aid

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 23 November (HL11378), whether they have made any assessment as to whether the non-publication of the audit reports relating to UK direct financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority is compatible with provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Palestinian National Authority and the Government signed on 7 July 2011 and extended on 22 December 2014 relating to the provision of effective public oversight of budget formulation and other key areas.

lord bates: The Memorandum of Understanding included a commitment to the UK’s Partnership Principles. One of those Principles was about improving domestic accountability through oversight mechanisms for Palestinian citizens to scrutinise budget formulation and implementation. The Principle did not relate to publishing audits of UK contributions. In line with Section 27 of the Freedom of Information Act (2000), we withheld the audit reports of the Palestinian Authority (PA) from 2010 – 2015.

Madagascar: Contraceptives

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to make representations to the government of Madagascar about contraceptive stocks in that country; and whether they will consider supplying Madagascar with contraceptives as a matter of urgency.

lord bates: The British Embassy in Antananarivo has raised this important issue with the Government of Madagascar and will continue to do so. The UK is already a major supporter of family planning in Madagascar, including contraceptives. So far in 2018, we have provided approximately £4.6m through the United Nations Population Fund Supplies programme. Additionally, through the £200m pan-Africa Women’s Integrated Sexual Health (WISH) programme announced by the Prime Minister in August, the UK will invest a further £9.3 million between 2018 and 2021. We call on other donors and the Government of Madagascar to step up their efforts to ensure access to modern methods of family planning to all women and men who need it.

Ministry of Defence

Appledore Shipyard

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what actionthey are taking to find (1) a new operator for the Appledore Shipyard, and (2) new orders from the defence and commercial sectors to maintain shipbuilding in that shipyard.

earl howe: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) remain closely engaged with Babcock and relevant stakeholders regarding the closure of Appledore shipyard. While the future of the shipyard will be a matter for the site owner, BEIS is working with the local council, which is considering options for the future of the yard.The MOD explored a range of options with Babcock to protect Appledore, including potentially bringing forward a £60 million package of work at Devonport to provide further employment for Appledore workers. This was not, however, enough to secure the long-term future of the yard.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

baroness meacher: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the additional funding announced for claimants migrating to Universal Credit will be spent.

baroness buscombe: At Autumn Budget 2018 we announced a package worth £4.5 billion across the next five years, to support those on Universal Credit. These measures include: A £1000 annual increase in the Work Allowance from April 2019,which will provide a £630 boost for households with children, and for people with disabilities.Reducing, from October 2019, the maximum rate at which deductions can be made from a Universal Credit award from 40 per cent to 30 per cent of the standard allowance. Additionally, from October 2021, the recovery period for advances will increase from 12 to 16 months. This will help over 600,000 families to manage their debts at any one point when roll-out is complete, providing them with, on average, £295 extra a year as their debts are repaid over a longer period.Introducing, from July 2020 a two week transitional run on (similar to the Housing Benefit run-on introduced earlier this year) of income related legacy benefits (Income Support, income related Employment and Support Allowance and income based Jobseeker’s Allowance) for two weeks after a claim for Universal Credit has been made. This measure means that around 1.1 million households will see a one-off gain of approximately £200, between 2020/21 and 2023/24.Commencing from July 2020, supporting the transition to Universal Credit for all self-employed people, by extending the 12-month grace period (the period before the Minimum Income Floor applies) to all gainfully self-employed people; giving claimants time to grow their businesses to a sustainable level. This will be implemented fully from September 2020.An extension in the surplus earnings disregard exception for up to £2500 for another year from 2019 to 2020

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Hare Coursing

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what resources are in place to implement the ban on hare coursing.

lord gardiner of kimble: Local police forces are taking steps to address hare coursing and associated crimes. The role of locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners is to hold their forces to account, including on how they tackle the crimes that matter most to residents and businesses. The National Wildlife Crime Unit includes hare coursing as one of its priorities. In addition, the six police forces across the East of England have come together and are deploying Operation Galileo to tackle hare coursing.

Home Office

Refugees: Syria

lord mcinnes of kilwinning: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many refugees resettled in the UKunder the Syrian Vulnerable Resettlement Scheme since 2015; what were the ages of such refugees when resettled; and what proportion of them were from refugee camps in (1) Lebanon, (2) Turkey, and (3) Jordan.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office is committed to publishing data in an orderly way as part of the regular quarterly Immigration Statistics, in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. The statistics are available at the quarterly release on the gov.uk website.As of September 2018, a total of 13,818 people had been resettled in the UK under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) since 2015, of which almost half were children. We do not currently publish a breakdown of resettlements by age or host country.

Visas

baroness manningham-buller: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many visas they have refused to delegates wishing to enter the UK to attend international scientific conferences; how many of those refusals were for applicants from low and middle income countries; and what were their reasons for such refusals.

baroness williams of trafford: The information requested is not available in published data. Visa nationals travelling to the UK for this purpose would normally apply for a visit visa. The large majority of entry clearance visit visa applications are granted. Information on grants and refusal rates for entry clearance visitor visas is published in the quarterly Immigration Statistics, Visas volume 1, table vi_01_q, latest edition at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-september-2018/list-of-tables#visas



Entry Visas - Sept 2018
(Excel SpreadSheet, 1.65 MB)

Immigration: EU Nationals

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Draft Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, published on 14 November, when they aim to have application forms available for residency documents under Article 18; and when the deadline will be for submitting such applications.

baroness williams of trafford: In line with Article 18 of the draft Withdrawal Agreement, the Home Office will introduce the EU Settlement Scheme which will provide a simple, streamlined process for resident EU citizens and their family members to obtain their new UK immigration status.The EU Settlement Scheme is being implemented on a phased basis and will be fully open by 30 March 2019. Once the scheme is fully open, EU citizens and their family members will be able to apply online, via an app, or by post.The deadline for applications will be 30 June 2021.

EU Immigration: Children

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the actions which the other 27 member states of the EU are taking, individually and collectively, to address the problems faced by child migrants arriving in Europe.

baroness williams of trafford: The UK Government takes the welfare of unaccompanied asylum seeking children extremely seriously, and the UK has a proud history of providing protection for those in need, including some of the most vulnerable children affected by the migration crisis.Whilst we are unable to comment on the specific actions taken by individual EU Member States, it is true to say that those States are bound by many of the same international obligations as the UK.The June 2017 European Council conclusions on the protection in children in migration reaffirmed that the European Union is implementing a comprehensive approach to manage migration and that the protection of children is a mainstreamed element of this approach. It also underlined that the best interests of the child must be a primary consideration in all actions or decisions concerning children and in assessing the appropriateness of all durable solutions.

Treasury

Cryptocurrencies

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans for market regulation of crypto-currencies.

lord bates: The government established the Cryptoassets Taskforce - comprised of HM Treasury, the FCA, and the Bank of England – earlier this year, to explore the risks and potential benefits of cryptoassets and consider the appropriate response. The Taskforce’s report sets out the path forward with respect to cryptoasset regulation in the UK. The government will:bring cryptoasset exchanges and custodian wallet providers within the scope of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regulation through the transposition of the EU Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (5MLD), and consult on going beyond the requirements of 5MLD;consult on whether the regulatory perimeter requires extension in relation to cryptoassets that have comparable features to specified investments but that fall outside the perimeter; andissue a consultation to further explore whether and how exchange tokens and related firms, such as exchanges and wallet providers, could be regulated effectively.

Interest Rates

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of the impact of Brexit on interest ratesand mortgage defaults.

lord bates: The Bank of England has operational independence to set monetary policy. As set out in its latest assessment, the MPC’s “monetary policy response to EU withdrawal, whatever form EU withdrawal takes, will not be automatic and could be in either direction and will depend on the balance of effects on supply, demand and the exchange rate.” The latest Bank of England Credit Conditions Survey (Q3) indicates that default rates on secured loans to households have fallen over the past 18 months and are expected to remain unchanged in the next quarter.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Gambling

lord chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many problem gamblers they estimate are (1) under 18 years old, and (2) 18 years old or more, in (a) England, (b) Scotland, and (c) Wales.

lord ashton of hyde: Neither Government nor Gambling Commission holds data on the number of problem gamblers aged 18 and over or under 18. The Health Survey for England and Scotland 2016 and Problem Gambling Survey Wales 2016 estimated the number of problem gamblers aged 16 and over in Great Britain as approximately 340,000, 0.7% of the population. Of these, approximately 280,000 were in England (based on 40 individuals identified as problem gamblers), approximately 40,000 in Scotland (based on 24 individuals) and approximately 20,000 in Wales (based on 29 individuals). All estimates are rounded to the nearest 10,000 and due to the low prevalence of problem gambling among respondents to the survey have large confidence intervals. There is 95% confidence that the true estimate for the total number of problem gamblers aged 16 and over in Britain is between 250,000 and 460,000. The Gambling Commission’s 2018 Young People and Gambling Report estimated that 1.7% of 11-16 year olds were problem gamblers, or approximately 55,000 if extrapolated to the population of Great Britain. This number is based on a survey completed by 2,865 children in schools in England, Scotland and Wales. Of these, 37 children were identified as problem gamblers: 30 in England, 3 in Scotland and 4 in Wales. Due to the low number of respondents it is not possible to provide robust estimates for the number of problem gamblers in each country. All estimates of the total figures of problem gamblers in Great Britain should be treated with caution due to the low numbers of individuals on which they are based.